It was a pleasure to see Canadian actor Raymond Burr recently honoured on a postage stamp.
While Burr appeared in many films, he was best known for his role as television’s greatest defence attorney, Perry Mason.
Mason, of course, used woodcase pencils! He had one of those fancy desk sets for show, but when there was work to do – he reached for a good old No. 2!
Here we see Perry and Della (Barbara Hale) talking with Paul Drake (William Hopper) in The Case of the Twice-Told Twist. Both Perry and Della work with woodcase pencils while the fancy desk set goes unused.
This excellent episode aired on February 27, 1966, and was the only show from the original run filmed in colour!
haha! i love perry mason!
Tataaa-ta-tat! ;-) I’m mad about 60’s and 70’s TV soundtracks.
I’m midway through the third season now. Hamilton Burger often uses a pencil in court. Both Mason and Burger appear to use Ticonderogas. They always appear “fresh out of the box” (the pencils, not the actors).
Paul Drake will sometimes pull a woodcase pencil out of his jacket pocket along with his notepad.
That’s a beautiful stamp (what lettering) and a great still from the show.
I remember as a kid being fascinated by the strangeness of the walls in Mason’s office. I still haven’t seen anything like them in real life.
Oh, the clocks, statuary, and wood panelling were amazing!
I was always amazed that they used pencils, especially for legal documents. I keep an eye out for pens and pencils used on various TV shows, such as Zebra F-402s used by the detectives on The Closer. Weird I know but it entertains me.
Greg, thanks for the comment. You may want to read Orange Crate Art, which often notes stationery sightings in classic films.